Powerhouse Animation Studios

Powerhouse Animation Studios, Inc. is an Austin, Texas based animation studio founded in April 2001 with a subsidiary called Powerhaus Animation LLC, established in summer of 2014. Powerhouse develops and produces traditional 2D animation, motion comics, motion graphics, art assets, digital paint, and illustration for television series, motion pictures, video game cinemas, commercials, advertising campaigns, educational properties, and entertainment companies.

Powerhouse Animation Studios
TypeAnimation studio
IndustryAnimation
FoundedApril 1, 2001 (2001-04-01)
HeadquartersAustin, Texas
Key people
Frank Gabriel, Brad Graeber, Bruce Tinnin
ProductsAnimation
Number of employees
59
Websitewww.powerhouseanimation.com

History

Headquartered in Austin, TX, Powerhouse Animation was founded on April 1, 2001 as a privately held animation service studio by Frank Gabriel, Brad Graeber, and Bruce Tinnin.

Powerhouse Animation's name is partially inspired by Raymond Scott's song "Powerhouse," which was often placed in scores that Carl Stalling wrote for Warner Bros. shorts, and has been featured in many animated cartoons. Powerhouse's motto is: "To better humanity through the miracle of traditional animation and space-age multimedia technology; to promote truth, justice, and capitalism through cartoons."[1]

In the fall of 2014, Powerhouse Animation Studios, Inc. opened its first satellite office in Burbank, CA.

Powerhaus Animation LLC, a division of parent company Powerhouse, joined The Animation Guild and became a Signatory of IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees) in May 2015.

Projects

In 2002, Powerhouse produced the short "Heroes" which parodied the film Clerks as well as Marvel Comics characters. After seeing the short, Kevin Smith, the director of Clerks, contacted the firm to produce an unfinished commercial from Dogma. After producing the short, Smith hired Powerhouse to create an arcade machine that featured a custom video game. The game was given, as a wrap party present, for Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez for their work on Jersey Girl. In the game, the main character is Lopez trying to rescue Affleck from an unknown villain and a band of ninjas. The player fights several bosses including a robotic Matt Damon and finally Smith himself.

In 2003, the firm created a 35mm test for a feature film based on Clerks: The Animated Series for Smith. They animated Clerks: The Lost Scene[2][3] which was included on the Clerks X: 10th Anniversary DVD. As writer-director Smith explains in the introduction to the scene on the DVD, it had originally been written for Clerks, but was not filmed due to budgetary restraints. The short was named the "best bonus feature of 2004" by Rolling Stone magazine.

In 2004, they animated the "Mr. Mom" video for the band Lonestar; in 2008, they worked with Hothead Games to produce mini-games and cinemas for the video game Penny Arcade: On the Rain Slick Precipice of Darkness.; in 2010, they created in-game animation and cinemas for the game RISK: Factions[4][5] produced by Electronic Arts and Hasbro.

The firm produces animated versions of many syndicated comic strips including Dilbert, Pearls before Swine, Cul de Sac, Pooch Café[6] and Over the Hedge produced by RingTales. Powerhouse has animated over 300 Dilbert shorts. It has produced animated content for educational companies including TED-Ed, Brain Chase, Compass Learning, Ignite! Learning and the National Fire Protection Association.

It produces animated content for websites, podcasts and other internet companies including several segments of the "B.S. Report Animated Archives" and "Jalen Rose Story Time" for ESPN's Grantland, and episodes of Kevin Smith's Spoilers series for SModcast and hulu. It has created animated video games cinematics for AAA console titles and iOS games such as Mortal Kombat X, Epic Mickey and Epic Mickey 2, DC Universe Online, Darksiders 2, Starhawk, The Banner Saga,[7] W.A.R.P., Avengers Initiative, Grey Goo, Disney's Hidden Worlds, Man of Steel and others.

In 2014, Powerhouse worked with Disney Interactive to create an eight-episode season of It's a Small World: The Animated Series.

Powerhouse has produced animated advertising content for brands such as Old Spice, IAMS, DisneyParks, Disneyland, Metlife, Coca-Cola, Oreo, Mountain Dew, Ruffles, GoDaddy.com and many others. In 2015, they worked with Weiden + Kennedy to animate a segment for a Weight Watchers ad called "All You Can Eat" that aired during Super Bowl XLIX.

Powerhouse has produced animated music videos for The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Wale ft. French Montana, A Sound of Thunder and Lonestar. The firm also develops original IPs and has optioned a series to a toy company. In 2015, the company wrote, created, designed and voiced a short series for Awesomeness/DreamWorksTV called Advice Times with Grandpa Theo that can be seen on DreamWorksTV's YouTube page. In 2017, the firm worked on numerous cutscenes featured in the action-adventure game Agents of Mayhem.

Powerhouse Animation Studios is currently working on the Netflix animated series, Castlevania, written by Warren Ellis; produced by Frederator Studios and Adi Shankar.[8][9] Castlevania aired July 7, 2017 on Netflix.[10]

In March 2019, a Greek mythology-based anime series titled Blood of Zeus was announced for Netflix.

In August 2019, it was announced Powerhouse would be animating Masters of the Universe: Revelation a sequel series to the original He-Man and the Masters of the Universe developed by Kevin Smith for Netflix[11]

On Halloween 2019, it was further announced that Powerhouse will create an animated series on the Heaven's Forest, which is set in an Indo-futuristic world and is inspired from the Indian epic Ramayana.

Commercials

Video games

TV series

Upcoming

Films

References
  1. https://www.linkedin.com/company/powerhouse-animation-studios-inc-/about/
  2. Animated Clerks "Lost Scene": First Look!
  3. Kevin Smith Hopes To Make Jay And Silent Bob Animated Film
  4. RISK: Factions
  5. EA Sets Stage for World Domination With RISK: Factions
  6. Pooch Café animated strips now on YouTube
  7. The Banner Saga
  8. "The Frederator Studios Tumblr". The Frederator Studios Tumblr. Retrieved 2017-06-01.
  9. Castlevania (TV Series 2017– ), retrieved 2017-06-01
  10. "Castlevania". Netflix Media Center. Retrieved 2017-06-01.
  11. "Masters of the Universe Reboot from Kevin Smith Ordered at Netflix". Den of Geek. 2019-08-19. Retrieved 2020-03-28.
  12. "Netflix Orders Mexico-Set Action Anime Series 'Seis Manos' From Viz Media & 'Castlevania' Producer". Deadline. May 8, 2018.
  13. Petski, Denise (2019-10-29). "Netflix Orders Ramayana-Inspired Animated Action Drama Series 'Heaven's Forest' From 'Castlevania' Team". Deadline. Retrieved 2020-01-31.
  14. Zorilla, Monica (27 January 2021). "Netflix Expands its Growing Anime Repertoire with 'Skull Island' and 'Tomb Raider' Adaptations". Variety. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
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